One of the most effective exercises that does not require any sports equipment or special physical training.
Many young people love to spend their free time on the horizontal bars, but not everyone knows which muscles are pumped in this case. So what muscles are pumped when doing a pull-up? This approach to training is highly conducive to working the muscles of the back, arms and shoulders. You can find out which ones exactly by reading the article to the end.
Hand strain
One of the most important features of exercises on the horizontal bar is their multidirectionality. That is, with the help of a horizontal bar, using various techniques, you can emphasize the load on different muscle groups. First, let's look at which muscles swing when doing pull-ups if you focus on your arms? In this case, they will receive their share of the load:
In addition, the shoulders are actively involved in the process, which also receive their share of the load. The shoulders in this case perform a complementary function.
Back and only back
What muscles are pumped during a pull-up? Some of the main muscles pumped during pull-ups are the back muscles:
Pectoral muscles
What muscles are pumped during a pull-up, besides the back and arms? Of course, breastfeeding. In the process, large bars are added to the crossbar. An excellent substitute for a horizontal bar for chest training are parallel bars. What muscles are pumped on this apparatus, besides the pectoral ones? With this exercise, the triceps and middle of the back are great. Thus, we can say that pull-ups have multidirectional benefits for many muscle groups, the load on which to one degree or another depends on the technique of performing the exercise. Here it is important to adhere to certain rules: do not swing your torso, maintain the correct range of movements and do not jerk. In this case, the maximum correct load on the muscles of the arms, back and chest is ensured. The above information provides a complete answer to the question of which muscles swing on the horizontal bar. Don’t forget about this, remember the correct technique, try, and you will certainly succeed!
By following this list, which consists of 10 important rules that tell you how to properly pump up your muscles, you will eventually get the body that you had only dreamed of before.
Naturally, it will not be possible to achieve what you want in a short period of time, however, so that the efforts made do not become in vain, these rules must be recognized as “golden” for yourself and always strictly followed.
Rule #1: Nutrition
When purchasing products, be sure to read the labels. This will help you get reliable information about the number of calories they contain. You can read more about nutrition methods in our article - diet for muscles.
Rule #2: Limit Cardio
You should do 3 treadmill workouts per week and no more. The duration of one cardio session is approximately 30 minutes.
It is best to do cardio at intervals - this method will create optimal fat loss and at the same time help maintain muscle mass.
There are two types of interval training - medium and high intensity. The selected complex must be performed 1-2 times a week, for 30 minutes.
Rule #3: Number of reps
Each approach should have no more than 20 repetitions. In this case, it is important to get the onset of muscle failure around the 12th repetition of the exercise. The optimal number of repetitions varies between 6 and 12 times in each set.
This is the only way to ensure a comfortable increase in muscle mass. The duration of the workout should not exceed one hour; it is also necessary to observe a rest regime - at least 70 seconds between approaches.
It is important not to increase the volume of exercises, but to wisely add weight to the apparatus.
Rule #4: Implement comprehensive training
You should know that the best results from training are achieved if the athlete concentrates on those exercises in which many muscles are simultaneously involved. For example, such as pull-ups, squats, push-ups, bench press, etc.
Rule #5: Stretching
Stretching and gentle massage will help you prevent injury and will also ensure that your muscles recover quickly before your next workout.
Rule No. 6: eat regularly
Food should enter your body in small portions, 5-6 meals per day. High-quality foods high in carbohydrates and proteins are needed to ensure muscle growth and maintain a high metabolic rate.
Rule No. 7: Bodybuilding should be varied
Some parts of your training program need to be changed after 4 - 6 weeks of strict implementation. You can, for example, increase the number of repetitions, or add an additional exercise, or reduce the rest time. It is worth doing pumping workouts periodically.
Rule No. 8: work all muscles
In each exercise or workout, try to use as many muscles as possible. Due to this, the body produces increased secretion of growth hormone, which serves as a stimulus for muscle growth.
Rule No. 9: eat before and after classes
Eat food rich in slow carbohydrates (cereals, fruits, vegetables) and proteins an hour before classes. The ratio of carbohydrates to protein should be: 2 g per 1 g. After training, also consume protein, but also add fast carbohydrates (honey, white bread, dark chocolate).
Rule #10: Rest to Recover
7-8 hours of sleep a day is the ideal time for complete restoration of strength, performance and excellent well-being. If you had to spend a sleepless night, then you need to make up for sleep as soon as possible.
Source: http://BuilderBody.ru/glavnye-pravila-po-nakachke-myshc/
How to pump up properly in a short time?
The number of people wanting to pump up their muscles is growing every day. A beautiful and toned body is the dream of almost everyone.
In order to give your body a sporty, sculpted shape, you can go in 2 ways: sign up for a gym or exercise at home. Gyms have trainers who will create a personal program.
If the choice is to train at home, you need to know how to swing properly.
To properly pump up muscles, you must follow the basic rules:
- Proper nutrition.
- Maintaining precision and technicality of training.
- Allow muscles to recover.
How to pump up correctly and quickly?
Before you start swinging, you need to decide on your goal. You can train to make your abs more prominent or pump up your biceps, enlarge your shoulders or pump up your whole body.
However, in any case, you must adhere to the following rules:
- There should be basic exercises with free weights. Basic exercises consist of: bench and standing presses, squats, deadlifts. If you do only the triceps, then the rest of the muscles will not be involved. In this case, the result will be uneven. And with the bench press, almost the entire muscle group works.
- You can't overload. In the first stages, the base can be done 2 times a week. After some time, increase by 1 more time. That is, you cannot train more than 3 times a week. If muscles are subjected to training every day, they will start to hurt and then stop growing. Therefore, everything needs to be done in moderation.
- You need to eat a lot of protein. Protein functions as a building material for muscles. First, you need to study the food table, which indicates how much protein a particular product contains. To increase protein in the body, the following foods should be present in the daily diet: meat, chicken, eggs, cottage cheese, milk, fish.
- Pump to the max. In training you need to give your best. At the end of the workout, there should be no strength left even for the lightest dumbbells. This is necessary so that the muscle receives microtrauma. After all, it will subsequently restore itself and a new layer of fibers will appear in place of the microtraumas. Due to this, muscles grow.
- Give muscles time to recover. After the pain has passed, it is better to wait a little, at least a day. This will help the muscles not only recover, but also overcompensate.
- Before training, be sure to warm up. If you take on a lot of weight at once, there is a danger of tearing the ligaments.
Read also: Exercises for arm wrestling at home
By following the basic rules, you can quickly pump up. Hard training, proper nutrition and adherence to the rules are the key to success.
A set of exercises for the whole body
There are many exercises for each type of muscle. However, circuit training is becoming increasingly popular. This is a set of exercises with which you can pump up both in the gym and at home. These exercises work all muscles. Circuit training includes:
- Pull-ups. This exercise is familiar to everyone. This is done 10 times and immediately moves on to the second.
- Explosive push-ups. This is a little more difficult than regular push-ups. It consists in the fact that when your arms are bent at the elbow, you need to sharply push off from the floor. When pushing away, you need to have time to clap your palms. This exercise is done 8 times without a break.
- Single leg squats. To perform such a squat, you need to throw one leg on a chair and move the other slightly forward. And sit down 9 times on each leg.
- Reverse grip pull-ups. The reverse grip helps pump up the biceps. It is performed in the same way as a regular pull-up, but the hands are placed on the horizontal bar with the fingers facing towards you. It is worth doing it 10 times.
- Hand push-ups. For this exercise you need to stand on your hands and rest your feet on the wall. Then the arms bend and the body lowers and vice versa - the arms extend and the body returns up. 4-5 repetitions will be enough.
- Push-ups on chairs. To complete this example, you will need 2 chairs, which should be prepared in advance. One will serve as a support for the legs, the second for the arms. Do push-ups 8 times.
- Raising your legs. While hanging on the horizontal bar, you need to throw your legs up. There is no need to sway or rush. Do 11 such lifts.
Circuit training consisting of 7 exercises is performed at least 4 times. You can rest for a few minutes between circles. If the training takes place not in the gym, but at home, then there may not be a horizontal bar. You can solve this problem by going to the nearest sports ground.
Steroids and their effects on the body
Some people use steroids and sports supplements to build their muscles. These things should never be confused; they have completely different effects on the body.
Steroids are analogues of male hormones. The male body releases testosterone after puberty. Therefore, there is no point in pumping up the body if the body has not reached puberty. Testosterone provokes hair growth, muscle growth, and increased interest in the opposite sex in guys.
The amount of testosterone that it secretes is quite sufficient for the body. However, there are cases of a lack of male hormones. In this case, the man is more like a woman: small stature, thin voice, small, slowly growing muscles.
In this case, the man takes steroids, which supply the body with the missing hormones.
Advantages and disadvantages of steroids
Steroids allow you to pump up muscles faster. Due to the intake of male hormones, strength and endurance increase. With their help, you can train daily, as they promote rapid recovery.
No matter how much steroids help you achieve your main goal - to get pumped up, you should know when to stop. This is a rather dangerous drug for the body. By taking an analogue of male hormones, you can stop the production of these hormones by the body itself.
As a result, men's testicles may become smaller; in the worst case, they may stop working altogether. The activity of the penis also increases. Taking steroids will increase the likelihood of kidney disease and genetic diseases.
Disruption of natural hormone metabolism provokes hormonal diseases.
Taking steroids is very dangerous for the human body. And it will only bring him harm. If you want to accelerate muscle growth, it is better to opt for sports supplements.
They will not give such quick results as steroids, but they will not harm your health and body.
A beautiful, pumped up body is the dream of almost everyone. And this dream is easy to achieve. You just need to work hard and follow all the rules.
Source: http://KakBik.ru/sport-fitnes/kak-pravilno-nakachatsya.html
How to build muscles
The article will discuss basic exercises for pumping up muscles. It won't be difficult for you to follow this program. The article will also discuss a training program.
Basic exercises
The basis of training for any beginner must be five basic exercises, which will help him not only “get involved” in the training, but also rebuild the body’s functioning, significantly increasing the production of growth hormone and testosterone.
Remember that the biggest mistake beginners make is transition to an “advanced” level of training without appropriate preparation of the body. Plus, let's be honest, if you don't know how to do these five exercises, you can't be called anything other than a "beginner."
Warm-up is important, but few people do it!
“Perhaps warming up isn’t that important,” a person might think. However, warming up the muscles is the main task before starting training. Exercising with cold muscles can lead to sprained or torn ligaments. There are many warm-ups, choose the one that suits you.
Exercise 1 – warm-up
Treadmill
Exercise bike
Exercise 2 – Deadlift
Initial position: half squat, feet shoulder-width apart, hands on the barbell. The neck is in line with the toes. The back is straight. Rise up, starting with your buttocks. When the bar is at knee level, straighten your knees.
Initial position: standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, looking forward. The chest is straightened, the shoulders are slightly laid back. Take a barbell with a grip slightly wider than your feet. Lean forward, starting at the hips, not the waist. Do not place the barbell on the floor.
Exercise 3 – Bench Press
Most often, this exercise is performed on the same bench as the bench press. Therefore, the position of the body on the bench is the same: press your head, shoulders and buttocks tightly to the bench on which you are lying and bend slightly at the lower back. The entire foot rests on the floor.
While the barbell is on the racks, make sure the bar is directly above your eyes. If everything is correct, then grab the bar so that the distance between your palms is slightly less than shoulder width. Push the barbell up.
At the top, your arms should be fully extended and the bar should be positioned directly above your neck. Now take a deep breath, hold your breath, this will help develop maximum effort for lifting, and lower the barbell to your chest, closer to the bottom of it.
Has there been a touch? Immediately, without a pause, otherwise the emphasis of the load will shift to the chest, press the barbell upward. After passing the dead point, exhale and push the barbell up to the end.
Exercise 4 – Barbell Row
Take the barbell shoulder-width apart with an underhand grip(palms facing away from you). Lean forward with your knees slightly bent and your lower back maintaining a slight curve. Keeping your elbows close to your body, pull the barbell up toward your upper abdominal muscles. Tighten your upper back muscles, change the direction of movement and return to the starting position.
Read also: Breast exercise for enlargement
Exercise 5 – Standing Barbell Press
In a standing position, take the barbell with an overhand grip and hold it at shoulder level. The palms are located below the bar for support, the arms are approximately shoulder-width apart, the elbows are bent and pointing down.
Push the bar vertically up over your head until your arms are fully straightened, then lower the barbell down to the starting position. We must try not to lose control of the barbell and keep it in constant balance.
If you do this exercise not standing, but sitting, the movement will be clearer.
Exercise 6 – Squats
Inhale and unlock the machine. Bend your knees and lower yourself down. After returning to the starting position, exhale. Don't forget to warm up well before exercise. Press your lower back firmly against the back of the machine.
Lower yourself down until your knees are bent at an angle of 90 degrees or less.
Don’t linger at the bottom point and immediately rise up, but not to the point of locking (off) the knee and immediately perform the next repetition.
Earlier articles covered exercises:
Nutrition during training
The most important aspect of growth is nutrition. Since the energy for performing the exercise is taken from the sarcoplasm, the body prepares for future stress and retains more nutrients, which leads to a visual increase in muscle.
Training primarily affects the production of testosterone and growth hormones, and it is these substances that are responsible for tissue growth. In addition, during strength training, the muscle receives microdamage, leading to growth during recovery.
You will need enough carbohydrates and protein after your workout to fuel your muscles. Another tip - consume more foods containing potassium, which is burned during exercise. For example, after training you will only need to eat a tablespoon of molasses (blackstrap). It is also important to restore the supply of vitamin B.
Building new muscle can be helped by consuming protein after exercise.
Your muscles will be sore the day after your workout and they will need protein. If you want to build muscles, fulfill their desire by preparing a protein shake.
Also do not forget about fats, they are so necessary for proper digestion, and they promote the muscle building process. Choose the right type of fat for yourself, such as fish oil (omega-3). Any of these fats combined with protein will provide you with adequate nutrition.
To you should not consume excess calories which will only lead to excess weight. All you need is a constant increase in protein intake so that your body builds more and more new tissues. You can grow at a crazy pace.
All you need to do is open your eyes, change your approach to training and its intensity. Start today, but remember that everything needs to be done gradually.
- You can divide the muscles into parts in a way that is more convenient for you. But just don’t combine two large muscles in one workout, for example: chest muscles and back muscles or legs and back muscles. Since it will simply not be possible to fully load each muscle group.
- Perform no more than three exercises per muscle group.
- If the goal of your training program is to build muscle mass, then more emphasis should be placed on basic exercises. Since it is the basic exercises that increase mass and strength.
Video
A selection of video exercises - how to properly pump up muscles
Squats
Barbell bench press, sitting, standing
Deadlift classic
Source: http://fitmania.by/freshman/nakachat/kak-nakachat-mushzy.html
What muscles should you exercise how many times a week? Bodybuilding and fitness training programs, how to build muscles, lose excess weight
In bodybuilding, there are certain principles and rules regarding how many times a week you need to pump certain muscle groups.
Let's try to figure them out and find out how many times a week and what muscles a bodybuilder needs to train.
If you are still a beginner athlete and have been training for several months, then there is an optimal scheme for you - to pump all muscle groups in one workout three times a week.
To do this, use basic exercises that help grow overall muscle mass.
After a few months of training, you can switch to split, separate training.
You need to divide the whole body into two parts, and train according to the 2+1 scheme, two days of training, then a day of rest. Or 2+1, 2+2.
Let's give an example of how many times a week you need to pump certain muscles:
Monday: you can pump up your chest, triceps, deltoids
Tuesday: back, biceps, legs training
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: you can pump up your chest, triceps, deltoids
Friday: back, biceps, legs training
Saturdays: rest
Sunday: rest
Thus, each muscle group is trained twice a week. During this period, the loads are not yet large enough, so the muscles need several days to recover.
Since the muscles will receive increasing stress, they will need more time to recover and continue to grow.
Small muscle groups require less recovery time, so with a weekly split there are two options for training them, once or twice a week.
What muscles should you exercise how many times a week?
An example when large and small muscle groups are pumped once a week:
Monday: you need to pump up your chest, triceps
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: back, biceps training
Thursday: rest
Friday: deltoids and legs swing
Saturday: rest
Sunday: rest
And with this split, large muscle groups are trained once a week, and small muscle groups are trained twice a week. One day, small muscle groups work while pumping up large ones, and the second time, targeted training of these small groups takes place.
Monday: chest, biceps pump (triceps and front delts work during presses)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: trains back, triceps (biceps and rear deltoids work during back training)
Thursday: rest
Friday: shoulders and legs swing
Saturday: rest
Sunday: rest
Another option is a split, when your arms are trained on one day:
Monday: you need to pump up your chest and deltoids
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: back, legs trained
Thursday: rest
Friday: you can pump your arms
Saturday and Sunday: rest
With this split, large muscle groups are pumped once a week, small muscle groups - twice a week.
These are just the simplest examples of strength training, there are many options. When answering the question: how many times a week should you train different muscle groups, you must not forget about the recovery factor. The time that muscles need to recover is determined only empirically, since it is individual for each bodybuilder and depends on various parameters.
Read also: Climbing exercise for which muscle groups?
How often can you train one muscle group?
For example, if you pumped your triceps in the last strength training, and it didn’t have time to recover, and in the next workout you started pumping your chest, then your results in the bench press will noticeably decrease. Therefore, you need to select a strength training regimen experimentally.
If you are an ectomorph, a split is perfect for you, in which only one muscle group is pumped in one strength training session. Ectomorphs require much more recovery time than athletes with other body types, so one muscle group should be trained no more than once a week.
With age, recovery time increases, so middle-aged athletes should train each muscle group no more than once a week.
Most novice bodybuilders are interested in the question of how many times a week they need to pump one muscle group. In response to this question, bodybuilding experts have the opinion that it is not advisable for beginners to train isolated muscle groups, since in novice athletes the most intense increase in muscle mass is observed when performing basic exercises.
In addition, you need to take into account that beginners in the gym do not want long duration of strength training. An hour or an hour and a half is enough to work out.
How many times a week should you train muscles to lose weight?
How many times a week should a girl or man exercise to lose weight? To quickly lose excess body weight, you can exercise daily. The minimum amount of strength training for weight loss is three times a week.
For those people who come to the gym just to pump up the muscles of their legs, arms, abs, back, buttocks, strength training should be less intense. A regime of 3 workouts per week is suitable for them. The strength load will depend on how many times a week and what muscles need to be pumped.
The optimal plan for pumping muscles of the whole body
One day the legs and buttocks sway; back and arms. The second day you can pump your legs and buttocks; press.
On the third day, you can pump your legs and buttocks again; back and arms.
This is done because the leg muscles recover faster and require more time to train them. Abdominal muscles usually take a very long time to recover. Therefore, you can pump your abs once a week. It is better to train the arm and back muscles no more than 2 times a week.
The pectoralis major muscles, biceps and triceps are the most involved during push-ups. They bear the main burden. The triceps muscles are the laziest. In the absence of constant loads they become flabby, sag, lose volume and strength.
Triceps comprises:
- Long head– a muscle that is located in the upper third of the triceps;
- Inner head located closer to the elbow joint;
- Outer head falls approximately in the middle of the shoulder.
The front part of the deltoid muscle is also heavily loaded. It is located next to the biceps, which does not work as hard, although it is the one that gains muscle mass in the first place. This is due to the different structure of tissue fibers.
Serratus anterior muscles attached to the bones of the scapula on one side, and on the other to the middle of the ribs. After powerful push-ups, especially if there was a break in training, after several approaches you feel pain just below the armpits on the back side. Men are accustomed to calling this part of the body “ wings».
Antagonist muscles or assistants who are secondary when doing push-ups:
- Trapezius muscle– this is the area of the back below the back of the head;
- Muscles shoulder;
- Muscles shoulder blades;
- Press: lower, middle, upper;
- Muscles front of thigh;
When doing push-ups, the elbow ligaments, muscles and ligaments of the hands are strengthened. The lumbar and back areas receive greater load.
Push-up pattern
Take a lying position– body straight, feet on toes, hands on the floor. The hands look slightly inward, the elbows are spread apart, but not too wide. The right and left palms are located slightly wider than the shoulder area.
Quick push-ups, dynamic, rhythmic in several approaches will provide the muscles with greater strength and endurance, but less volume. During such exercises, muscle tissue seems to dry out.
Slow static push-ups from the floor allow the blood to saturate the muscle with oxygen. This technique will lead to increasing volume in a short time. This method is difficult to perform, so it is not recommended for beginners.
You can spend about a minute in this push-up position. This loads the press as much as possible. The body will begin to tremble from the load. Such an exercise not only benefits muscle growth, but also effectively shapes the body, giving relief to the line of the abs, chest and arms.
Exercise options
Regular exercise option from gender is available to most people who are not overweight, healthy and physically well developed. Lying emphasis. The exercise is performed a comfortable number of times in two or three approaches.
Narrow grip. This method differs in that during push-ups the hands are as close to each other as possible. This option allows you to load the triceps more effectively, strengthening and strengthening it.
Wide grip. In this case, the hands are located as far as possible from each other. The greatest load falls on the pectoral muscles - they quickly sway and fill, increasing in volume.
On fists. Classic push-ups are made more difficult by focusing on your fists. This strengthens the ligaments of the hands. The fist becomes wider. It is important to perform this exercise correctly - the fist must be straight to avoid possible injuries.
On fingers. This method is practiced mainly by professional athletes, climbers, and special forces. Classes are performed on the hands resting on all five fingers. The thumbs point approximately at the navel area. The fingers are spread out as far as possible.
From the floor with your feet resting. Classic push-ups or any other, but with your feet on a stand that is higher than the floor. This exercise targets all muscle groups, especially the chest, biceps and triceps.
Ultimately, such push-ups are performed against a wall in a vertical position - upside down. To begin with, the person performing this exercise is belayed by holding the ankle. The man lifts his entire body weight. With this option, the abs work little, as does the back and lower back. The main load is distributed between the deltoid muscle, chest muscles, biceps and triceps.
With dumbbells. This version of push-ups is convenient for those who avoid injuries to their hands. A person takes dumbbells in each hand and assumes a lying position. Each palm holds an object that creates a comfortable hand position, reducing the load on the ligaments of the hands.
Circular. This method involves transferring body weight from one hand to the other during training. When moving down, the weight is transferred to the left hand, outlining a circle in the air with the chin. At the bottom point, the weight is transferred to the right hand, followed by an upward movement.
On one hand. This method distributes body weight to only one arm. Biceps and triceps are pumped more. The hand is at mid-chest level. The second one is behind.
One of the most common questions before training is what to train with what, which muscle groups to work together and how often to do it?
There are many ways to create a training plan. Choose the best option based on your experience and goals. If one type of training does not provide the necessary load, try building a program in a different way that will take into account your individuality.
For gaining muscle mass
According to sports medicine recommendations, strength training should be performed at least twice a week. During this time, you will develop the main muscle groups: chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, abs, anterior and posterior thigh muscles.
Remember that 48 hours of rest is necessary for any muscle recovery. Do not forget that to gain weight you need to pay attention to high-quality protein nutrition and appropriate caloric intake.
What to train with in the gym to gain weight? You should not load a large number of muscles at the same time, but the muscles involved should work to their maximum, if possible without affecting another large muscle group.
In this case, the body will specifically restore certain areas without wasting building material to bring the entire body back to normal.
Training opposing muscle groups is one of the most common types of strength training. At the same time, in one session they do exercises on antagonistic muscles, which ensure the movement of joints in opposite directions. Simply put, you work on the front and back of a specific area of the body on the same day.
Since you will need rest for the stressed muscles, it is convenient to train on a different part of the body the next day.
Advantages of this method:
- The target muscle group works to the maximum. You won't be able to achieve the same effect by training your whole body at once. By focusing on a different area each time, you will get results faster.
- Research shows that you engage muscle fibers more actively when you work or at least stretch antagonist muscles in the same session. This means that the chest press will be more effective after the mid-back stretch.
- Training antagonistic muscles ensures that you work both sides of the body evenly, maintaining a balanced development of the figure.
The disadvantages of this type of training include the fact that you will only work each muscle group once a week. Sample schedule for four workouts per week:
- Monday: chest and back.
- Tuesday: anterior and posterior thigh muscles, abs.
- Thursday: biceps, triceps and shoulders.
- Saturday: chest and back.
Next Monday, do thigh and abdominal exercises and continue the rotation further.
Another option for targeted muscle loading is to divide large muscle groups by day. Thus, one day you train the chest and triceps, the next day - the back and biceps, the next workout - the legs and shoulders.
The shoulders can be worked together with the pectoral muscles. This method of training is also convenient for a busy training plan.
Keep in mind that to improve performance and relieve stress on the nervous system, the training strategy must be periodically changed. For example, do exercises for the biceps together with the pectoral muscles, and the back with the triceps. This will diversify your workouts, relieve psychological fatigue and give impetus to further gain muscle mass.
For weight loss
If your goal is to lose weight, training should take maximum energy and burn calories effectively.
What to train with what in one day for weight loss? Functional training is well suited, in which almost all muscle groups are worked out in one session.
In this case, it is necessary to do a large number of approaches (from 8) with maximum weights, but a small number of repetitions per approach. Each workout includes all 3 exercises from powerlifting, but on the day of working out the pectoral muscles, a lighter workout is performed on the back and legs.
Work the large muscle groups first: legs, chest and back. For example, deadlifts and bent-over rows work multiple muscle groups at once. Then move on to working small groups: triceps, biceps and shoulders. Do 2 exercises per group per workout to avoid overtraining.
As you develop strength and endurance, you can diversify and intensify your training (add exercises or increase weights).
Beginners often believe that if they work out their abs every day, it will quickly get rid of belly fat and create those coveted abs. In fact, the abdominal muscles work on the same principle as any other muscle group. Therefore, it makes sense to give them at least a day of rest between training days. Working out the abdominal muscles is often combined with exercises for the back or legs.
New to strength sports? Then building your training schedule is of paramount importance. Next, you will learn which muscle groups are best to combine on a training day to maximize muscle growth.
In bodybuilding, no one will ever give you a training program that will magically turn you into a successful competitive athlete. It takes years of hard work, trial and error to get the body of your dreams. Here you can only find recommendations about the best exercises, successful schemes for the number of approaches and repetitions, interesting methods of training, but in the end only you are both the “jury” and the “judge” regarding the effectiveness of certain training methods for your body.
So, building your workout and training split depends on several factors:
Training Experience
Beginners should adhere to less voluminous and intense programs, but with greater frequency, than experienced athletes.
Goals
Are you just going to keep your muscles toned, or maybe you want to make larger changes to your physique and reach new heights?
Your options
Can you train 5 days a week, or is your schedule so busy that you can only afford to go to the gym a couple of days? Be that as it may, it is important to realize that each subsequent workout builds on the previous one. So you should have the opportunity to at least visit the gym.
Rest and recovery
Depending on your job, lifestyle, and recovery abilities (including sleep), you may need more or fewer rest days between training sessions. And you shouldn’t neglect it in the pursuit of muscle mass. Growth happens outside of the gym, with good nutrition and proper recovery. Be sure to listen to your body.
Recovery may also include a mental recharge - if you are mentally tired from regular training, take a few more days to rest. One of the workouts can be done outside the gym by doing a long distance run or working on the horizontal bar and uneven bars.
Your weaknesses
If you have lagging muscle groups or those that you would simply like to tighten, work on them first after a period of rest, when energy reserves are in abundance.
What combinations exist
There are many training options, dividing the pumping or combining muscle groups in one day. Below are 5 basic training splits, starting with the easiest to the most advanced and difficult. Make no mistake! Beginners should choose the first option, while more or less experienced athletes can consider the other variations.
As you become more experienced and acquire new knowledge and skills, you will find that you begin to use more exercises, and the intensity and volume of your training increases. All this will require more time for rest, which means each muscle group will be worked out once a week. So, which muscles are best to train together?
Combining all muscle groups in one workout is the best option for beginners, based on performing 2-3 approaches of one exercise per muscle group. The main reason why the training volume (few approaches per group) is low is that the primary adaptation of beginners to power loads passes through the nervous system. After all, you first need to teach your body to activate and use as many muscle fibers as possible, and only then work on their strength and size. This in turn requires greater frequency, and the workout must be repeated 3 times a week with 48 hours of recovery in between.
Another reason why volume and intensity of training is kept low for a beginner is to minimize the next day. Pumping up the whole body not only helps you become familiar with all the equipment and exercise machines, but also allows you to work out each muscle group in moderate volumes, instead of “burning out” one specific one.
Day | Muscle groups | Exercises per group | Approaches | Repetitions |
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1 | All | 1 | 3 | 10-12 |
2 | Rest | |||
3 | All | 1 | 3 | 10-12 |
4 | Rest | |||
5 | All | 1 | 3 | 10-12 |
6-7 | Rest |
Split TOP/BOTTOM
The amount of work (number of sets and repetitions) done for each muscle group in a fullbody program is low. The next step is to break the whole body down over two days and do 2 exercises per group. On a training day, combine the muscles of the upper part (chest, back, shoulders, arms) and lower part (quadriceps, buttocks, hamstrings, calves, abs).
By increasing the volume of work for each body part, you can hit a specific area from different angles. In the example below, you need to do 6 sets - 3 sets of two exercises for each muscle group on one day.
Up and down |
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Day | Muscle groups | Exercises per group | Approaches | Repetitions |
1 | Top | 2 | 3 | 6-8, 10-12 |
2 | Bottom | 2 | 3 | 6-8, 10-12 |
3 | Rest | |||
4 | Top | 2 | 3 | 6-8, 10-12 |
5 | Bottom | 2 | 3 | 6-8, 10-12 |
6-7 | Rest |
You can train in two different rep ranges:
- the first is focused more on developing strength indicators (choose a weight with which you will reach failure in 6-8 repetitions)
- the second is as close as possible to the growth of muscle mass (10-12 repetitions)
Press/Draw/Legs
The third stage also involves increasing volume in training. This time you will train each muscle group not twice a week, but three. The most effective way to create such a three-day split is to combine muscle groups in one training day that:
- press (chest, shoulders, triceps)
- pull (back and biceps)
- legs separately
Why is the combination like this? The fact is that many basic exercises involve other muscles. For example, when doing a bench press, the chest, deltoids and triceps are involved in the work. Therefore, after loading the pecs, it would be wise to finish off the shoulders and triceps. If you do chest on Monday, shoulders on Tuesday, and triceps on Wednesday, there simply won’t be enough time for recovery and the effectiveness of the next workout will noticeably decrease, since some muscles have already received a certain load the day before.
Advanced athletes can perform the split twice in 8 days, that is, taking one rest day after every three days of training. For beginners, it is better to stick to the diagrams below. The repetition range should also be selected individually, depending on the intensity of the workout. The larger it is, the greater the weights you need to use and the fewer repetitions.
Press, deadlift and legs |
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Day | Muscle groups | Exercises per group | Approaches | Repetitions |
1 | Chest, shoulders, triceps | 3 | 3 | 6-8, 10-12 |
2 | Back, biceps | 3 | 3 | 6-8, 10-12 |
3 | Legs | 4 | 4 | 6-8, 10-12 |
4 | Chest, shoulders, triceps | 3 | 3 | 6-8, 10-12 |
5 | Back, biceps | 3 | 3 | 6-8, 10-12 |
6 | Legs | 4 | 4 | 6-8, 10-12 |
7 | Rest |
Four day split
And here is a split that shows that you are becoming more serious! With fewer muscle groups combined in one day, you can further increase the volume and intensity of your workouts - factors that are important for continued progress. A four-day split is most often done over the course of one week, which means you get 3 days of rest. But as an alternative and to complicate the training process, you can do just one day of rest after 4 days of work, or train for two days and rest for two days.
The best combination would be to group large muscles with small ones (traction or pressing only). You can do a split of chest with biceps, back with triceps. Just take at least one day of rest between antagonist workouts or lift your legs to give yourself time to recover.
Four day split |
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Day | Muscle groups | Exercises per group | Approaches | Repetitions |
1 | Back, biceps | 4, 3 | 3-4 | 6-15 |
2 | Chest, triceps | 4, 3 | 3-4 | 6-15 |
3 | Rest | |||
4 | Legs | 5 | 3-4 | 6-15 |
5 | Shoulders | 4 | 3-4 | 6-15 |
6-7 | Rest |
It is also very important to work out a large muscle group first, and only then move on to a small one. The smaller the muscle group, the faster it gets tired. If you do the opposite, you will not be able to lift heavy weights, since the assisting muscles were already exhausted in the first half of the training.
Five day split
A good option for athletes with experience behind them and a better understanding of all the intricacies of the training process. No combination occurs. Allows you to pay maximum attention to one muscle group, increasing intensity and volume to the limit. You can work your muscles much harder by spending an hour or more in the gym. Rest days can be left on weekends or shifted to other days depending on your schedule and workload. For example, loading two large muscle groups two days in a row and then taking a day off. Then carry out the remaining three classes and again have a day off.
Again, do not download synergists one after another under any circumstances, otherwise the recovery will be incomplete. That is why such muscles in the table below are separated by an interval of 48 hours.
Five day split |
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Day | Muscle groups | Exercises per group | Approaches | Repetitions |
1 | Breast | 4-5 | 3-4 | 6-15 |
2 | Back | 5 | 3-4 | 6-15 |
3 | Shoulders | 4-5 | 3-4 | 6-15 |
4 | Legs | 5-6 | 3-4 | 6-15 |
5 | Biceps, triceps | 3-4 | 3-4 | 6-15 |
6-7 | Rest |
Abdominals and calves are not included in any of the splits. Small muscles recover very quickly and can work within a day. The best option would be to leave them until the end of the training.